(VOVworld) - The 10th Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD) and related events opened in Da Lat city in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on Monday.

Delegates at the event (Photo: VNA)

Jointly organized by the Ministry of Health and the provincial People’s Committee, the four-day event drew over 100 health experts from ASEAN, China, the Republic of Korea and Japan. 
Vietnam’s Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said over the past years ASEAN countries have closely cooperated in healthcare which greatly contributes to assuring security and development in the region.
Minister Tien said: “One of the important tasks for the senior health officials is to jointly discuss and agree on an ASEAN health cooperation mechanism for 2015-2020 for submission to the 13th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting. I hope that the participants would actively put forth new and effective cooperation mechanisms to bring enormous benefits for the people and contribute to the building of a people-centered ASEAN community while promoting solidarity and unity between nations”.

Other important issues under discussion include ASEAN’s post-2015 health development programme highlighting 18 priority fields divided into four main groups: strengthening healthy lifestyles; addressing disease risks; enhancing medical systems and access to healthcare services; and ensuring food safety.